high maintenence=a long, lengthy wash day and/or doing full wash days 2xwk (i used to do this when i first started ), high manip. hairstyles on a daily basis, or a leave out that is straightened multiple times a wk

So long as you don't have a good regimen down, any hair texture is high
maintenance. It also depends on the type of hair styles you prefer. I
usually have protective styles so my natural hair is very low
maintenance.

So long as you don't have a good regimen down, any hair texture is high
maintenance. It also depends on the type of hair styles you prefer. I
usually have protective styles so my natural hair is very low
maintenance.

You've been natural for some years now right? How long is your hair?

Girllllll. I've had a long journey. My hair should be at my booty by now but its only shoulder length last I checked.

I went natural in 2007, I permed a year later. Went natural again in 2009 then in 2011 I dyed my hair and it broke off badly and only realized it because my hair was the same length it was when I colored and 9 months had elapsed. Fast forward to last July I got tired of watching my hair break off slowly so I just cut all my colored ends off which only left me with a couple inches.

The beauty of it is that I just came back from a year in Nigeria and braids, twists and cornrows are super cheap there so it was easy to grow my hair out with protective styles. Removing of braids is $3, washing is $2, and getting your hair braided by 2-3 people is about $30 at a nice salon. All I did was just spray my hair at night with a combination of glycerine, water, and olive oil. By the time I left a couple weeks ago my hair went from a TWA last July to long enough to put in a pony tail in June.

My lesson through this long journey is my hair hates chemicals and flourishes when its left alone.

When I was natural, it was high bc I couldn't nail a consistent regimen to help my hair thrive. Im tex-laxed now and transitioning back to natural, or at the very least stretching until July 2014 in which I may either relax straight or chop off. Ill be 17 months post then.

Hopefully if I decide to go back to natural, I can figure out what my hair truly loves..

If you have the right products and right method, your hair can be low maintenance.

Natural kinky and/or curly hair can end up being high maintenance if the products that are used dehydrate the hair.

And of course your styling choices will determine just how high maintenance it will be.

It also depends on how your hair responds to water where wet detangling is concerned(does the water weigh your hair down or does it look the same wet or dry but just acts differently?). You might have to tweak the method to get the job done quicker, by dividing hair in to sections if your hair is dense(this can be as little as two sections). You may even feel the need for dry detangling with water in a spritz bottle and enough conditioner for slip so that you are in control of the water, which will avoid the hair from tangling up.

Some choose finger detangling over hair tools( like a wide toothed comb, or denman style brush) and benefit while some (like myself) benefit from having a tool to detangle. Finding out what is best can save so much time.

Hard water is also a pain in the butt and will require a suitable cleanser to remove the build up.

Also moisturizing and sealing on damp hair(that actually feels damp) on a wash day instead of hair that looks damp but really still is wet also makes a positive difference in the way products are absorbed by the hair.

Basically the way your hair absorbs moisture will determine the products and methods necessary.

And a regular deep condition can help keep your moisture balance in check.

As for me, the more I learn about my hair the less maintenance I have.

All textures have their options to be low maintenance, but yes some textures require a lower maintenance than others, that's just the truth. It doesn't have to be high maintenance though.

natural is not low maintenance...not at a certain length anyway. I can see how ladies with 25 inches and more can just throw it into a bun....but that akward in between stage is alot of maintenance. Worth it if you embrace it though.

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